Curriculum Expand All Collapse All
Program Goal and Outcomes
Program Goal
To prepare students to prepare meals for friends, families, and others, while also beginning students on their journey to starting their own catering business.
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to...
Succeed by learning how to use your Penn Foster program.
This introductory lesson will introduce you to catered events.
Catering deals not only with cooking but also with beverages and table service.
Become a food artist!
This lesson teaches everything you’ll need to know about serving alcoholic beverages.
Plan your career path by learning about the jobs available to culinary professionals.
Learn about the ideal layout and design of a gourmet kitchen.
In your first cooking lab supplement, you’ll sear beef with arugula and onions to create a delicious dish.
In this cooking lab, you'll caramelize onions to create a caramelized onion frittata, and present your dish with one of the beautiful presentation options in this supplement. You'll slice onions, determine if eggs are fresh, sun dry tomatoes, and learn the difference between an omelet, a quiche, and a frittata.
Additional Unit Materials
Textbook: The Professional Chef
Video: Chef Skills
In this course, you'll learn the fundamental recipes for making stocks, sauces, and soups, and to appreciate subtle nuances of flavor and texture.
This course teaches the essentials about fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and the primary cooking methods.
You will stir fry beans in this cooking lab. Stir frying is one of the oldest cooking methods in the world. Choose accompaniments for your dish, and create delicious sauces.
Additional Unit Material
Video: Stir-Fried Beans
In this course you'll learn to cook remarkable, mouth-watering recipes for beef, veal, lamb, and pork.
Create a creamy, delicious layer of béarnaise sauce with thin, carefully placed slices of filet—seared to perfection—accompanied by olive-shaped château potatos.
In this cooking lab, you'll create a French rack of lamb served with mint chutney.
Additional Unit Material
Video: Filet with Red Wine Mushrooms
This course will teach you how to add variety to your diet by preparing different cuts of poultry and cooking it using various methods.
Prepare a chicken breast stuffed with cheese, olives, and herbs. Then, prepare chicken breasts using the alternative recipes and presentation options presented in this cooking lab.
Additional Unit Material
Video: Stuffed Chicken Breast
In this course, you’ll learn to take advantage of the wealth of available fish and shellfish by experimenting with the many preparation techniques to create light, healthful fish and shellfish dishes.
In this cooking lab, prepare a whole striped sea bass stuffed with herbs.
Additional Unit Material
Video: Seared Tuna
This course will familiarize you with the many flavors and textures of legumes, grains, and pasta.
Cook Sesame Shiitake Noodles, a delicious, robust dish with garlic, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms. Select a grater, and learn about different types of ginger.
This course will teach you how to create delicious baked goods.
In this cooking lab, create a delicious phyllo pear tart with a beautiful presentation and pair it with dessert wine!
In this final course of gourmet cooking, you’ll learn about breakfast delights, tasty sandwiches, appetizers, and hors d’oeuvres, as well as culinary practices around the world.
In this cooking lab, prepare an entire meal of red cabbage and spinach salad, salmon in parchment with shrimp and peppers, and chartreuse melon with berries. Each piece of the meal will come out on time and delicious!
Additional Details
Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in this field are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered in the Penn Foster Program. Prospective students should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where they plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in this Program. Click here for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.
Graduates of our Caterer Program can take the National Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe Food Handler online training course and certification exam at no additional cost. This certification is required for anyone working in an environment that involves food handling.
Penn Foster Career School Accreditation & Licensing Details
Penn Foster has been accredited for over 50 years. Penn Foster Career School has been thoroughly reviewed and has earned several important accreditations, certifications, and licensing. Most importantly, Penn Foster Career School is both regionally and nationally accredited.
A Committed Support System
While you can study independently, you’re not alone! With a dedicated Student Services department, the Student Community, and instructors just a call away, you’ll have access to the support you need.
Progress Tracking and Goal Setting Tools
Our customizable goal-setting tools will help you create a schedule and stick to it. Need some extra time to complete a lesson? Not a problem — you can adjust your study plan at any time to set a pace that works for you.
Student Community
Looking to connect with other Penn Foster students? Our Student Community is the perfect place for you to interact with your peers — as well as Penn Foster faculty and staff — to discuss your online learning experience, congratulate fellow students, and share your Penn Foster experience.
Sample Caterer Lesson
Penn Foster courses are written in a way that is easy to understand, and materials are broken down into manageable lessons. Take a look at what a Catering course would look like.
Computer Specifications
As you know this is an online academic program. This means you will need access to high-speed internet to begin your program. In addition, you will need access to a Microsoft® Windows® based computer running Windows 10® or later or an Apple® Mac® computer running macOS® or later, and an email account to complete this program.
We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Apple, Mac, and macOS are trademarks of Apple, Inc. registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.
Apple, Mac, and macOS are trademarks of Apple, Inc. registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.